Gifted and talented students need to be challenged every day. Former GATE coordinator Mary Langer Thompson urges parents and educators to share Inman and Kirchner’s thorough book with school personnel to benefit these youngsters, who won’t thrive without support.
No school or district is immune from a future defined by declining resources. Leadership consultants Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn share four research-based strategies to help educators make the most of a challenging financial climate and serve all kids.
Teaching students to take good notes and allowing them to use “open notes” on most class tests is good instructional practice, says ELA teacher Amber Chandler. She details how her open-note approach sharpens student focus and provides data to strengthen lessons.
ELA teacher Kevin Hodgson & his social studies colleague are teaching 6th graders the basics of online research, the art of letter writing, collaborative peer editing, and the elements of argument. One result: letters ready to be sent to the next U.S. President.
Curtis Chandler can’t help but worry a bit about the ‘video-fication’ of our students. Is academic progress being hindered by excessive and ineffective video use? He identifies best practices and several tech tools that can help make sure videos augment learning.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / Multicultural Learning
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 11/20/2016 · Last modified 12/04/2019
Few things are more important to Cheryl Mizerny than creating a classroom environment that honors all of her multicultural students. She looks at beliefs, the visual environment, instructional materials, and teaching choices for ways to support everyone’s learning.
Current Events / Future of History
by Sarah Cooper · Published 11/10/2016 · Last modified 11/27/2019
In the wake of the election, Sarah Cooper recalls that teaching MS history means teaching identity. “It’s our job to give examples. It’s our students’ job to internalize what they agree with, set aside what they don’t, and grow into the human beings we know they can become.”
During her 27 months teaching English in a Macedonian village school, Peace Corps volunteer Jordan Lucas learned a lot about the relationship between culture and learning – insights that will help her be a better language educator. It all began with a kombi ride.
Helen Hume’s survival guide for grades 7-12 art teachers, coordinators, content teachers and homeschoolers proves to be a rich resource for lessons, project ideas, and art history touching on all the arts. Retired principal Mary Langer Thompson recommends it.
Teacher John Hunter’s book reveals the intricacies and impact of his famed (thanks to a top 100 TEDTalk) World Peace Game, a multi-layered challenge where students collaborate to solve 50 complex problems. Kevin Hodgson appreciates Hunter’s openness to inquiry.
